Are you interested in becoming a midwife and unsure about where to start? The Wisconsin Guild of Midwives is here to help!
The first two steps to take are deciding which credential you’re interested in pursuing and learning about what the path to that credential looks like.
- Are you interested in becoming a certified nurse midwife (CNM) or a certified professional midwife (CPM)?
- Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) are registered nurses who have gone on to graduate from a nurse-midwifery masters program and have passed a national certification examination to receive the professional designation of certified nurse midwife. Their education and practices are mostly hospital based, but they are able to provide care for pregnancy and birth in hospital, home, and birth center settings in Wisconsin.
- Certified Professional Midwives (CPM) are professional independent midwifery practitioners who have met the certification requirements of the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM). Applicants can qualify to take the NARM exam by either apprenticing with a qualified midwife and completing an Entry-Level Portfolio Evaluation Process or graduating from a Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC) midwifery program or school. Their education and practices are solely out of hospital/community based, and they are able to provide care for pregnancy and birth in home and birth center settings in Wisconsin.
- Which route(s) of education and training are right for you?
- To become a CNM, most people do the following:
- Obtain your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from any accredited university.
- Pass the NCLEX to become a registered nurse (RN).
- Practice as an RN in Labor and Delivery to gain experience.
- Obtain your Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN) with an emphasis in midwifery. There are many nurse midwifery programs across the country, but here are a few to get you started with your search:
- Pass the American Midwifery Certification Board exam to earn the CNM credential.
- Apply for an advance practice registered nurse (APRN) license with the state of Wisconsin.
- To become a CPM, there are few options:
- Attend a MEAC program or school.
- There are several schools and programs available for people who would like to take this route. You can learn more about this option by heading to our Education page.
- After graduating from or completing a MEAC program or school, you will then need to schedule and pass the NARM exam. Upon passing the exam, you will have earned the CPM credential.
- Apply for a CPM license with the state of Wisconsin.
- Participate in the Portfolio Evaluation Process (PEP).
- The Portfolio Evaluation Process is a three phase apprenticeship. The phases each have their own requirements and all will be completed under the supervision of one or more NARM-registered preceptors. You can learn more about the PEP by reading NARM’s Candidate Information Booklet.
- Find and work with one or more registered preceptors to complete the clinical requirements and acquire the skills needed to complete each phase.
- Complete your own didactic learning, obtaining the knowledge you would otherwise learn in a classroom setting. This may or may not be done with the support of your preceptor and often includes a combination of continuing education classes, skills workshops, reading books, doing research, attending study groups, obtaining or creating your own study materials, attending clinic, etc.
- Complete and turn in each phase of the PEP, after which you will receive permission to schedule the NARM exam. Once you pass the exam, you will have earned the CPM credential.
- Apply for an LM license with the state of Wisconsin.
- Attend a MEAC program or school.
- To become a CNM, most people do the following:
Regardless of which path you decide to take, the Wisconsin Guild of Midwives is here to support you! Consider joining the Guild as a student.
